Animal feeder



Feb. 5, 1929.

w. M. ROWLES ANIMAL FEEDER Filed July 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -%%eix Feb. 5, 1929.

r W. M. ROWLEQ ANIMAL FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1927 Patented Feb. 5, r 2

WALTER M. nownns, OFDNAWA, IOWA.

NiMAL FEEDER.

Application filed July 11,

The objectof my invention is to provide a hog feeder of very'simple, durable and inexpensive construction. i

More particularly, it my object to provide an animal feeder of the type adapted to be placed anywhere in the feeding house,- which feeder is provided with? one or" more compartments for different kinds of feed, and is provided with troughs separated by bars or other means for keeping animals apart and provided respectively with tiltable covers or lids for protecting the feed in the trough coin,- partn'ients.

It is my purpose to provide such movable covers or lids of metal, such as galvanized iron with heat insulating linings and with protected means at their lower edgesf Another object of'my present invention is to provide agitating means for the contents of the food hoppers. I

Another purpose is to provide a feeder peculiarly adaptedfor storage and shipment in knock-down form and adapted to'be'conveniently and easily setup or taken apart. In connection withthis feature, it is my. purpose to provide a feeder having parts so rangeinent and combination of the various parts of my animal feeder, whereby the objects ctmtemplated are attained, as, hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which 1 Figure 1 is aperspective view ofan animal feeder embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of one'end of the feeder with the cover removed.

Figure 3 is a transverse and vertical 'sec tional view taken on the line3-3 of Figure 2. Figure i is an. inverted, plan View ofone of the swinging cover members for a. trough section. Figure 5 is perspective view ofthe base as completed in the factory for assembling.

Figure ('3 a. perspective view of one of the end members of the feeder.

Figure 7' is a'perspective View of one-side 'are'beveled upwardly andinwardly as shown.

' of the feeder with the feed agitators installed therein.

. illustrated in Figure 5.

1927. Serial no. 204,749.. a

Figure 8 is a perspective dividing partitions; .7 Figure 9 is a perspective view of the top of the feeder viewed fromuuderneath; and

Figure 10is a detail, sectional viewtaken on theline 10l0 of Figure 3.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate two view of one of the skids arrangedin vparallel"position lengthwise of the feeder for supporting it. 1

I prefer to build my feeder by completing what I will for convenience call the base in hers or boards 12 forming the bottom of the feeder. Supportedon the bottom formed by the boards 12 are two longitudinally'arranged strips 14, substantially spaced from each other and spaced inwardly in each instance from the side edges ofthe bottom.

The upper edges of the strips 1"; are beveledas at 16. Resting upon each beveled edge 16 is a board 18, which extends lengthwise 0f the feeder and is inclined downwardly toward the central, longitudinal line of the feeder, as'shown in Figure 2. i I I 'The lower edges of the. boards 18 are ;beveled as at 20. Y i

- The exposed upper surfaces of the boards- 18. arecovered by sheets. of sheet metal 22, as shown inFigure. 2. The sheets of sheet edges of the boards 18 as at 24.. i At the lower, central art of the trough is a raised member inclined outwardlytoward both sides'of the trough, as shown M26,-

metal 22 are bentdownwardly over the upper This member may be composed of a solid I piece or of strips of boardas shown.

At each end ofthe base, now being'described, is secured an end wall member 28 as The members resting upon the boards 12 form troughsseparated by the raised mem ber 26 and extending lengthwise of the feeder on both sides thereof. These troughs are separated into sections by 'means of transverse, dividing members 30, resting on the metal sheets 22, as shown in Figure 5, and provided with suitablenotchesas a't 32 to Y receive theraised central member 26.'

Theupper, outer ends of the members 30 at 34. The top edges of some of the members receiving the hopper hereinafter described. I r

30 are horizontal as at 36' to coact with the dividing partitions hereinafter referred to. Others of the members 30 have central notches in their upper edges as indicated at 38 for allowing free passage of food from troughsection to trough section in the compartments between the different partitions of the feeder. Beveled strips 40 may be used at the lower edges of the members 30. (See Figure 5.)

At the ends of the trough, the end members 28 may be provided with liner plates or the like 42.

The base as above described preferably manufactured in the factory and shipped as a unit.

At each end of the feeder is an end member 44, which may be made of upright boards 44 connected at their lower edge by an outside binder strip 46. On the inner face of each end member 44 is a liner 48, preferably having generally the form of a triangle, with its base at the top and with its apex cut across hori-- zontally as at 49 to rest on the end member 28 in the liner 42. i

The side or ges of the liner 48 serve as stops for the side wall members hereinafter referred to. p

The end wall members 44 are secured to the end members 28 by means of removable belts or the like 50. (See Figure 1.)

It will be understood that in the manufacture of myfeeder, suitably sized and located holes are provided for the bolts.

In assembling the feeder from its knockdown to its completed form, the end Walls 44 are bolted to the end members 28 and the side walls of the hopper are then installed in position. The side walls are indicated at 52. They may be made of any suitable material, but are preferably built of l0ngi- V tudinally arranged boards 52",

At each end of each side wall, there is pro-v vided on the outside of the side wall asubstantially upright binder strip to which is secured an angle 56, preferably of sheet metal. The angles 56 are provided with belt holes 58 to receive bolts 50, such as have been described for fastening the side wall 52 to the end wall 44. I

Hinged to the lower edge of each side wall ll arrange a plurality of agitator gates (30. There is one gate for each hopper compartment of the completed feeder. The gates (it) are slightly spaced apart to allow for the members 30, which do not have the notches 38.

Arranged above and between each successive pair of gates on the inside of each wall 52 are guide strips 62 (see Figures 2 and 7) for partition members Secured to theinner faces 'o'fthe resoecti've screw eyes 64, in which are received the lower transverse members of agitators 66, which are in the form of large-meshed screens or the like, and are arranged adyacent to the inner faces of the side members 52.

.ln the upper part of the inner faces of the side members 52 are screw eyes 68 in which some of the upright members of the agitator 62 are loosely and slid-ably mounted as shown in Figure 7. i

it thus appears that when the gates are swung on their pivots, the agitator members 66 will be operated. Their lower' ends will be swung inwardly and upwardly when the gates 60 are swung inwardly and upwardly, and their upper ends will slide upwardly, and vice versa when the gates 60 are swung downwardly and outwardly, the lower ends of the agitators (36 will swing douuiwardly and outwardly and the upper ends will slide downwardly.

Suit-ably mounted on the outer, lower face of each side wall 52 is a transverse rod or shaft 'Z(). The rod 70 is provided with suit able bearing members 7 2 at proper intervals corresponding to the positions of the trough divider members 30.

Pivotally.mounted on each rod 70 is a pluality of trough covers 74, which may be made of sheet metal with a curled portion 76 at the upper edge to form a journal to receive the rod 70. There is one trough cover member 74 for each section of trough in each side of the feeder.

hen the trough cover members 74 ar made of metal, they are preferably lined on their under side with fiber or the like 78, which has a lower curled edge 80. e

The parts are so constructed and arranged that when the covers are installed, the curled portions 80 will overhang the edges of the troughs, as shown in Figure 3, so that the hog in raising the trough cover will raise this curled portion instead of the sharp edge of N ha PYA the feeder ini gure 1 and shown ice Pivoted to the top and frame members 86 I interior of the hopper.

It should perhaps be mentioned that the l ur-e 3 to its dottedline position shown in that figure for thus allowing access to the frame members92 shown in Figures 3 and On the inner faces of the agitator gates v at their lower edges are placed adjustable strips 106. Ilhese strips are fastened by means of screws 108 extended throughelongated slots 110 in the strips and screwed into the agitator gates 60. By loosening the screws 108, the strips 106 may be adjusted for rcguiating the size of tlie'opening from the lower cnd of the hopper into the trough.

In the practical assemblingofthe feeder, the end walls el-i are bolted tothe base end members 28 by means of bolts 50, the side walls 52 carrying the agitators are then slipped into position, and the flanges of the angles 56 are bolted to the side walls 52. The partions 82am thenslipped into place for dividing the hopper into a series of compartments for different kinds of feed. The pivot bolts for the links 96 and 98 are then inserted through those links and through the holes providedtherefor in the end walls 44 at 1.00,

and 102.

In practical use, differentkinds of feed may be placed in the difi'crentcompartments of the hopper, i I

IVhen an animal, such as a hog comes up to eat, he lifts one of the trough covers 74L with his nose and can then have access to a trough section.

The animals soon become accustomed to the device,and if feed is not delivered to the trough in sutlicient quantities, the animal will movethe agitator gate 60 for thus operw atin the agitator 66 and disturbing the feed in the hopper coii'ipartment, so that the feed will drop downwardly.

It nrayperhaps be noted that the bearing member 72 for the shaft may be in the form of cottcrpiins extended through the wall 52,

and that the shaft 70 may be provided with heads 10%.

Changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts of my improved feeder without departing from the real purpose and scope of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modifications in Si-I'UC't'lllfO, changes in arrangen1cnt,or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim my invention: J

1. In feeder of the class-described, a base comprising a platform-like portion, a

trough formed on said platform-like portion having inclined sidewalls and a longitudinal,

central raisedmember, transverse partitions in. said trough, base, feederend walls adaptedto bedetach ably connected with said base end wall memend wall members on said here having on their inner faces liners of the shape of a hopper end, side wall members, means for detachably connecting the side wall members with the feeder end walls, agitator gates pivoted to the lower edges of the side walls, agitators pivoted to said gates and extendingupwardly along the inner faces of the side walls and slidably mounted thereon near their upper parts, and a cover.

- 2. In a feeder of the'class described, a base comprising a platform-like portion, a trough formed on said platform'-l1ke portion havlng inclined :side walls and a longitudinal, central raised member,transverse partitions in said trough, end wall members on said base,

feeder endwalls connected with said base, end wall members having on their inner faces liners of the shape of a hopper end, side wall members, means for connecting the side wall members with the feeder, end walls. agitator gates pivoted to the lower edges of the side tending upwardly along the inner faces of the side walls and slidably. mounted thereon near their upper parts, a cover, and a series of inwvalls, agitators pivoted to saidgates and eX-.

3. In a feeder of the class described, a base comprising a platform-like portion, a trough formed on said platform-like portion having inclined side wallsand a longitudinal central raised member, transverse partitions in. said trough, endwall memberson said base, feeder end walls connected with said base end wall members having on their inner faces liners of the shapeof a hopper end, side wall members, means for connecting the side wall members with the feeder'end walls, said side wall members each having at its outer edge independently pivoted to it a series of trough section covers, and a feeder cover.

4. In. afeeder of the class described, a base comprising a platform-like portion, a trough formed onisaid platform-like portion having inclined side walls and alongitudinal central raised member, transverse partitions in said trough, end wall members on said base, feeder end walls adapted to be detachably connected with said base end wall members having on their inner faces liners of the shape of a hopper end,'side wall members, means for detachably connecting the side wall members. with the feeder end walls, said side wall members each having at its outer edge hide pendentiy pivoted to ita series of trough sec- I tioi c, vers. a feeder cover, and. a rod on. each sidewall. member, sa d trough section covers having ournals mounted on said rod and being provided with non-heat conducting liners. M i Y 5 Ina knock-down feeder of the kind described, a base comprising a platorm-like element having a longitudinally arranged trough thereon with walls inclined from its central medium line upwardly and laterally base end walls and against said liners, means and having end Wall members, feeder end for detachably -fastening the hopper side Walls, means for detachably connecting the walls to the feeder end walls, and a cover in.

feeder end Walls to the base end Walls, said detechably hinged to said end Walls. feeder end Wells ha fling liners with inclined Des Moines, Iowa, Jun-e, 30, 1927. edges for serving as stops for the hopper side Walls, hopper side Walls resting on the WALTER M. ROl/VLES. 

